Plans for Nanaimo鈥檚 summer fair are being reconfigured as barns on the fairground have been deemed unsafe.

The Vancouver Island Exhibition is happening Aug. 25-27 at the Beban Park fairgrounds.

On Monday, July 10, the VIEX released a statement saying that all five of the barns at the Beban Park site are not safe for public use. As a result, livestock will be moved elsewhere at the park and the home arts exhibition will be virtual.

Michelle Solloway, VIEX spokesperson, told the News Bulletin that the City of Nanaimo requested the non-profit organization hire an engineer to examine the structures. It was deemed they are not in good shape, with 70 years of wear and tear and the back corner of one of the barns sinking into the ground.

鈥淲e did home arts online a few times through the pandemic, but people were really excited to have it back in person last year鈥︹�� Solloway said. 鈥淚n the Centennial Building, we will have the poultry, the rabbits, smaller animals that we can put up on tables. Then down on the grounds, we鈥檝e got some big tents for our goats and sheep, and the bigger animals. And we actually have lots of horses coming back this year, so that鈥檚 exciting.鈥�

The non-profit organization ultimately seeks an agricultural centre at Beban Park, anticipated to cost $6 million, and Solloway said plans to raise money are being developed.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get through this year and then we鈥檝e really got to sit down and figure out our options,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not really anywhere else to go. There鈥檚 no other options on the table. So I think [next steps include] figuring out getting the barns down and how we鈥檙e going to deal with that and probably some negotiations with the city on timelines.鈥�

Solloway said whether Beban Park is a viable site for future fairs is a tricky question.

鈥淚f we were to able to rebuild some facilities, I think we can make it work there 鈥� I know a couple times we鈥檝e used the soccer field, but that鈥檚 not always available. The buildings aren鈥檛 always available. It鈥檚 really just a matter of space availability,鈥� she said.

The City of Nanaimo has been contacted for comment.

An Agricultural Land Commission application that would have relocated the VIEX to Nanoose Bay鈥檚 Arbutus Meadows was denied, citing the scale of commercial use on agricultural land, a decision Solloway said she didn鈥檛 agree with. The non-profit has a year to appeal to the ALC.

鈥淚t seems unfair considering we鈥檙e a three-day event 鈥� the rest of the year it鈥檚 all agricultural,鈥� Solloway said.

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